Shoes



July 7, 1925.

F. N. SAVARD DEVICE FOR SOFTENINC- SHOES @www Reissued July 7, 11925. l y

UNITED STATES CHINEEY CORPORATION, JERSEY. A

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCOIS N. SAVARD, F AVON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASVSIGNOR TO UNITED vSHOE MA- OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW DEvIcE EOE soETENiNG sHOEs.`

A Original No. 1,501,139, dated July 15, 1924, Serial No.588,437, filed September 1.5, 1922. Application` for reissue inea viaeinmary 24, 1925. 'serial N. 11,385.

To all whom t may concer/n: y

Be it known that I, FRANoois N. SAVARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Avon, in the county of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have Ainvented a new and useful Improvement in Devices for Softening Shoes, Of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to av device for softening portions of shoes, particularly. box toes )and has for its object to' provide a heater through the medium of which theltoe portions' of shoes, and particularly the box toe or stiffener for the toe cap,'ma`y be heated, and thereby softened preparatory to undei-going the lasting Operation.

In the manufacture of shoes at the present time it is customary to utilize artificially prepared sheet materials as substitutes for leather to stiflen and reinforce certainl portions of the shoe, particularly the toe cap and in order to properly last the'shoe at the toe portion where it is necessary to wipe the various materials comprising the toe r cap, toe box and lining over the bottom of the `last it ybecomes necessary to soften said materials, particularly the toe box, to render them pliable in order that said toe box, together with the toe cap, will not breakor crack while beingsubjected to the'unavoidable strainsiincident kto the lasting opera'- tion.

In former types of toe-.softening apparatus the toe of the shoe is inserted horizonltally into a heating chamber through an opening in the front vertical wall of such chamber, and` the source of heat `is located under the space occupied by the toe. `Those types permit the escape of a largeproportion of the available heat through the opening into which the toe is inserted, and the flow of heated air or vapor, as the case may be,'causes the heat to impinge on certain parts ofthe shoe and not on others, with the result thatthe heating is not uniformlydistributed. Furthermore, vsince much of the heat is permitted to escape as aforesaid, it is necessary to supply more heat than the' workA requires, for otherwise the softening process would be so slow as to retard production. Cons`equently, by supplying sufficient heat to Overcome the greatwaste and maintain. the` desired rate of'production it i frequently happensv that the shoes are burned atnthose points against which the current impinges or at which the heat is -Otherwise concentrated.

In view ofthe conditions above stated van ob]ect of the present invention is toprovide atoe softening apparatus in which the available heat will be so much conserved that' the desired softening effect may be obtainedwithout maintaining a temperature that would burn the leather and without retarding production. A feature of the invention consists in an improved type and arrangement of heat-radiating means forming a heating chamber that is vclosed except at the bottom where an opening is provided to permit inserting the toes of the shoes upwardly. 'The heat radiated in said chamber, havlng vno means of escape except at the bottom, andbeing constrained in the chamber by its natural tendency to rise, is therefore conserved in an inertl state and affects all parts of the work uniformly. For

accomplish the desired softening effect may be low compared to that* required in other types of apparatus, and since vthere is no appreciable current O1' flow in the chamber the heat is never precipitatedagainst or concentrated at any area of the Work, and one of thej common causes `of burning is avoided.-

The invention consists inl the combination and arrangement ofl parts set forth in the following` specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof:

Referringl to the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of la device for softening shoes embodying the invention. y f

Fig. 2 is -a transverse section taken on the line`2-2 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 5 represents a casing constituting a heating unit and embodying therein a central bodymember 6 at the opposite ends of which are plates 7 and 8. The casing l5 is constructed in the form of an inverted U and the interior thereof consti-` 8 not only close the opposite fends ofv'the chamber' 9, but the opposite ends of the recess 17 as well. The recess 17 is of sufficient size and form to receive the :toe portions of a kplurality of shoes `19 as illustrated in Fig. 2, the latter being inthe processof construeV tion,feach shocbeing located upon a rlast 2O.Y

The casing 5 is .mounted upon a suitable frame 21 embodying therein legs 22 and istipped at a-slight angle upon said frame 'to facilitate the insertion and .removal `of the shoes to and from the .recess 17.

Means are provided for supporting the shoes 19 while being heated and for adjusting the height of the supporting `meansfas follows: lwounted uponthe 'frame21 beneath the casing 5 is a Ashelf 23, :the upper surlface of which is provided with .longitudinally extending strips 24 Vforming corrugations provided ifor the 'purpose 'of preventing the shoe from slipping uponsaid shelf and also V for providing a means for positioning the heel portionof said shoe thereon. The shelf 23 is .preferably inclined at a slight angle to alhorizontal plane and rests upon angularl supporting members 25 .which =are adjustable vertically :upon the legs 22, .and said members are `held in positionupon said legs by bolts 2G which :pass'through slots'27 'provided in said legs. The inclination of the shelf 23, moreover, may be changed if de- 7 sired, by adjusting :the lheight of the 'forward and rear supporting members :25 Xrelatively toeach other. All sizes'of shoes may, therefore, be Ysupported upon the .shelf 23 beneath the casing 5 :and treated `-within the recess l17, and .the Adistance to which said shoes may .project within said Vrecess is determined by the position of the heel portion of said shoe upon the shelf 23 and the height of said shelf upon the frame 21. Tie rods 28 and 29areprovided to reinforce the legs 22 on the frame 21. I

The vgeneral operation of the device is :as follows: In preparing the shoes for lasting after the upper `of the shoe -19 has been pulled over=the last 20 and it is ready to be operated Iuponby the lasting machine, the shoe is placed uponthefshelrf 23 with the toe portion thereof. projecting into the recess 17 of the casingv 5, there being sufficient space provided for a plurality of said shoes to be placed upon said shelf and rest thereon side by side. The :shelf v23 is located in an inclined position, the inclination of which may be changed as desired by adjusting the .angular supporting members 25, and the height of said shelf relatively to the casing 5 may also :be adjusted in a similar manner. The-strips-or-corrugations 24 provided upon the Lipper surface of the shelf 23 are utilized to `position the heel portion of lthe shoes upon said Ishelf `and also to prevent said shoes from slipping thereon, and the distance to which the ytoe ,portion of the shoes may project into the recess 17 .isidetermined by the position olf the heel :portion of :the shoe upon sthe shelf 23. Steam vadmitted `to the:chamber9 heats the walls of thefcasing 5, and the radiated heat which is confined within Vthe' recess 17 because of the position and form of said recess acts -uponthe toe portion of the shoe .and particularly upon the toe box thereof, .and after the Itoe portion ofthe shoe Ahas -been ywithin the recess a sufficient length of time 4for said toe box to be rendered pliable, said shoe is withdrawnandsubjected to the `lastingoperation without danger of injuring the toe Vportion of the shoe.

Having thus described Vmy invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is.:

1. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a U-shaped heating unit provided with a .U-shaped chamber for a heating medium .located within the interior thereoffand a recess in the side thereof, and means to support a `shoe with a portion -thereof projecting yinto said recess.

Y2. A `device of the character ydescribed comprising, in Ycombination, a U-shaped heating, unit provided .with Aa `U-shaped chamber for a heating medium located within the interior thereof and a recess in the side thereof, .and .means to support a shoe with a portion thereof projectinginto said recess, said shoe support being adjustably mounted so as to vary the distance between the same and said heating unit.

3. A device of the character described comjiirising, in combination, a heating unit provided with a chamber for a heating Inedium located within the interior thereofand a lrecess lin the side thereof, .and a support for a shoe located adjacent to said .heating unit, said sho'e .support being .adjustably mounted so as to rvary thedistance between the sameand saidheatingunit and also-to incline said support at an angle to a :horizontal plane. f

- 4.7A ydevice of the character Vdescribed comprising, in combination, a heating .unit provided -with a chamber .for a heating Amedium Alocated within the interior fthereof anda recess in .theside thereof-means .to

'support a shoe With a portion thereof projecting into said recess, and means whereby vthe heel portion of said shoe may be positioned and prevented from slipping upon said supporting means.

5. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a heating unit provided With achamber for a heating medium located Within the interior thereof and a recess in the side thereof, and an inclined shoe support arranged to support a shoe by its heel end With the toe end in said recess, said shoe support having provision for preventing the heel end from slipping.

6. A device o f the character described comprising, in combination, a heating unit provided With a chamberv foi a heating medium located Within the interior thereof and a recess in the side thereof, anda support for a shoe located adjacent tosaid heating unit, said support being provided With a corrugated upper surface to prevent a shoe from slipping thereon. d

7. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a U-shaped casing provided With a recess in a side thereof and having a U-shaped steam chamber located Within the interior thereof, means to conduct steam to said chamber, said steam Within said chamber being segregated from said recess, and means. to support a shoe With a portion thereof projecting into said recess.

8. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, a casing provided With aY recess in the under side thereof and having a steam chamber located Within the interior thereof, means to conduct steam to said chamber, and a support for a shoe port and said casing and also to incline said support at an angle to a horizontal plane, said support being provided With a corrugated upper surface to prevent a shoe from slipping thereon.

10. A device of the character described comprising a steam-chest of U-shaped 'crosssection arranged with the recess opening at the bottom, and means to support a shoe so that the toe vWill project upwardlv and into said recess.

11. A device of the character described comprising a heat-radiating element forming a recess open at the bottom and closed at the top, and means to support a shoe toeend-up with the toe-end projecting into said recess.

12. A'device of the character described comprising an elongated heat-radiating member forming a trough to receive and closely envelop the toe-ends of a plurality of shoes arranged side by side, and means to support a series of shoes so that'their toe ends Will project into said trough.

13. A device of the character described comprising a heat-radiating element forming an inverted trough-shaped recess, and

Ymeans to support one or more shoes Vby their heel-ends With their toe-ends projecting upwardly and into said recess.

14. A device of the character described comprising a steam-chest forming a` recess in its under side to receive the toe of a shoe, and means under said steam-chest to support a shoe toe-end-up so that the toe Will project `into said recess, said steam-chest adjustable tovary the extent to Which the shoe may project into said recess.

15. A device of the character described comprising tivo separate confronting heatradiating elements forming a space or recess open at the bottom to receive t-he toe-end of a shoe, and means under said space or recess to support a shoe toe-end-up with the toe-end projecting into said space or recess. f In testimony` whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANCOIS N. SAVARD.

4and said supporting means being relatively 

